Our Good Friend
Mr. Mo Mentum
Meeting of 29 Sep 05
Our Mission
• Discuss the momentum exception and display
our knowledge of the exception by answering
the quiz questions correctly.
2
Review of the Safety Rule
• By 8-5-2a, when a runner carries the ball
from the field of play to or across his own
goal line, and it becomes dead there in his
team’s possession, it is a safety.
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Situation #1 (SG 9.18):
• Quarterback A1 receives the snap at his
2 yard line and drops back into his own
end zone where he is tackled by B2.
• RULNG: Safety.
4
Review of the Touchback Rule
• 7-5-3c,d: At other times, when A forces
the ball into the end zone and B
possesses it, it is a touchback.
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Situation #2: (MP)
• Defensive back B1 intercepts A2’s pass
in B’s end zone and is immediately
downed by receiver A3 in the end zone.
• RULING: Touchback for B.
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Momentum Exception
• What do we do when B makes a good
defensive effort in the field of play by
interception, etc, but it is B who forces the
ball in the end zone?
• Since B made the effort in the field of play it
does not qualify for a touchback.
• The rule makers did not want to penalize B
by ruling a safety, so they came up with the
Momentum Exception.
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8-5-2a Exception:
• It is neither a safety nor a touchback
• if a defensive player is inside his 5 yard line when
he recovers or intercepts a fumble, forward or
backward pass, or catches/recovers a kick, and
• His momentum carries him into the end zone
where he is downed or loses possession of the
ball which then goes out of bounds in the end
zone.
• The ball belongs to the defensive team at the spot
where the pass or fumble was intercepted or
recovered or the kick was caught or recovered.
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Rule Change This Year:
• The Momentum Exception applies to all
loose balls, both in flight and grounded.
• We used to say the exception only applied
to catches, not recoveries. Now it applies to
both.
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The spot where the pass or fumble was
intercepted or recovered or the kick
was caught or recovered
• For brevity’s sake, I’m calling that the the
momentum spot.
• We mark the momentum spot with a beanbag.
Why?
• Because it marks the spot where the ball may be
next put in play, and it also marks the spot from
where we may enforce a penalty.
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Momentum Spot
• It is the spot inside the 5 yard line
where the defensive team gains
possession and from where his
momentum carries him into the end
zone.
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Momentum Requirements:
• #1 Defensive player gains possession
of a loose ball (fumble, pass or kick)
from his own 5 yard line to the goal
line.
• #2 His original momentum carries him
into the end zone.
• #3 The ball is declared dead in the end
zone in his team’s possession or it
goes out of bounds in the end zone.
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Situation #3 (SG 9.20):
• Team K’s long punt is caught by R1 at
his 3 yard line. His momentum carries
him into his end zone where: (a) he is
tackled; or (b) he fumbles the ball and it
goes out of bounds over the end line.
• RULING: In both cases it is team R’s
ball at his 3 yard line where R1 caught
it.
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Situation #4: (SG 9.21):
• Team K’s kickoff lands at the 6 yard line
and bounces high into the air. Receiver
R1 possesses the ball at his 3 yard line
and his momentum carries him into the
end zone where he is tackled.
• RULING: The momentum rule applies.
It is Team R’s ball at the 3 yard line
where R1 recovered the kick.
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Situation #5 (8.5.2A):
• R1 makes an over-the-shoulder catch of a
scrimmage kick on his own 2-yard line, running
full speed in the direction of his own goal line. His
momentum carries him into the end zone with the
ball.
• RULING: Since the momentum of R1 carried him
into his own end zone, if the ball becomes dead in
his possession in the end zone, it will be R's ball
at the spot of the catch. This also would be true if
the ball went out of bounds behind the goal line
after R1's momentum carried him there and he
was last in possession of the ball. (8-5-2a Exp.)
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When is the momentum exception
not in effect?
• Whenever the defensive player does
not meet all 3 of the requirements.
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Momentum Requirements:
• #1 Defensive player gains possession
of a loose ball (fumble, pass or kick)
from his own 5 yard line to the goal
line.
• #2 His original momentum carries him
into the end zone.
• #3 The ball is declared dead in the end
zone in his team’s possession or it
goes out of bounds in the end zone.
17
Situation #6 (8.5.2E):
• B1 intercepts a pass on B's 4-yard line with his
momentum taking him directly toward his goal
line: (a) B1 fumbles on the 1-yard line, or (b) B1 is
contacted by A2 and the ball comes loose on the
2-yard line. In both cases B2 recovers the ball in
B's end zone and is downed there.
• RULING: It is a safety in both (a) and (b). Once B1
gained possession in the field of play, he is
responsible for the fumble which is the force
which put the ball into the end zone. Had B1 not
fumbled, the momentum exception would have
been in effect.
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Situation #7: (SG 9.22)
• A1’s long pass is intercepted by B2 at
his 7 yard line, and his original
momentum carries him into his end
zone where he falls down.
• RULING: Safety; the momentum
exception does not apply when the ball
is caught outside of Team B’s 5 yard
line.
19
Situation #8 (SG 9.23):
• R1 catches K2’s kickoff on R’s one yard
line, R1 takes a step forward and
circles back into his own end zone
where he is tackled.
• RULING: Safety; the step forward
eliminated any possibility of
momentum being judged as the reason
for the ball being carried into the end
zone.
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Momentum requirements:
• #1 Defensive player gains possession
of a loose ball (fumble, pass or kick)
from his own 5 yard line to the goal
line.
• #2 His original momentum carries him
into the end zone.
• #3 The ball is declared dead in the end
zone in his team’s possession or it
goes out of bounds in the end zone.
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Requirements
• In the case of the 3rd part of the
exception, the end zone is referring to
the ball, not the player.
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Situation #9 (SG 9.24)
• K1’s kick is caught by R2 on his own 2 yard line. R2’s
original momentum carries him into his end zone and he is
able to stop about 3 yards deep. R2 steps laterally and
retreats almost to the end line, he runs parallel to the goal
line and makes an attempt to bring the ball out of the end
zone, but is tackled by K3 before leaving the end zone.
• RULING: Although R2 maneuvered in the end zone, the
exception applies because original momentum took the
ball into the end zone and it remained there. Team R’s ball
1st and 10 from their own 2.
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Situation #10: (SG 9.25)
• R1 catches K2’s kick on his own 3 yard line.
Original momentum carries him into the end
zone. He stops and runs out to the 1 yard
line, then circles back into the end zone and
is (a) tackled there; or (b) comes out again
and is tackled on his 1 yard line.
• RULING: The momentum exception applied
until R1 brought the ball out of the end zone.
In (a), it is a safety, and in (b) Team R’s ball
on their own 1 yard line.
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Situation #11 (SG 9.26)
• B1 intercepts a pass on his own 2 yard line
and pitches the ball back to B2 in the end
zone (a) after; or (b) before his momentum
carries him into the end zone. B2 is tackled
in the end zone.
• RULING: In (a), the momentum exception
applies since B1’s momentum took the ball
into the end zone. B’s ball, 1st and 10 from
their own 2. (b) It is a safety, the backward
pass was the force which put the ball in the
end zone. The momentum exception cannot
apply.
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Momentum and Penalties:
• By 10-3-3c, the momentum spot is the
end of the run for penalty enforcement.
• We therefore use the all but one
principle for fouls that occurred during
a momentum exception.
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Situation #12 (SG 11.48):
• B1 intercepts a pass on his own 3 yard line and his
momentum carries him into the end zone where he is
downed. After the interception, and before the ball
became dead, (a) A2 grabs a facemask in B’s end
zone; (b) A3 grabs a facemask at the 5 yard line; or
(c) B4 holds in the end zone.
• RULING: In (a) and (b), if the penalty is accepted for
A’s foul, it will be 1st and 10 for B from their 18 yard
line since the penalty is enforced from the
momentum spot (where B1 intercepted the ball). In
(c), it is a safety since the foul will be enforced from
the spot of the foul under the all-but-once principle.
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Situation #13: (8.5.2F):
• B1 intercepts on his own 4-yard line and his momentum
takes him into B's end zone. (a) B1 advances out of the end
zone and runs to his own 35-yard line; or (b) B1 runs out of
the end zone then circles back into it and is downed there;
or (c) B1 is hit and fumbles and A1 falls on the loose ball in
the end zone; or (d) B2 holds A1 in the end zone as B1 is
downed there.
• RULING: Legal advance in (a). In (b), it is a safety. Once B1
advances out of the end zone as in (a) or (b), the exception
is canceled and action thereafter dictates the result of the
play. Touchdown for A in (c). In (d), the foul by B2 occurred
in the end zone behind the basic spot resulting in a safety.
(7-5-4; 8-1-2; 8-5-2a Exp; 10-4-3; 10-6)Corrections—Rules
Book
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Our Mission
• Discuss the momentum exception and display
our knowledge of the exception by answering
the quiz questions correctly.
29